Method of processing,positioning and aerating crops

ABSTRACT

A METHOD OF POSITIONING, PROCESSING AND AERATING CROPS COMPRISING CRUSHING THE CROPS THEN DISCHARGING THEM IN HIGH VELOCITY STREAM, THEN INTERCEPTING A PORTION OF THE STREAM AND DEFLECTING IT TOWARD THE GROUND TO FORM A FIRST LAYER AND THEN DEPOSITING THE REMAINDER OF THE CROPS IN ONE OR MORE LAYERS UPON THE FIRST LAYER IN A FLUFFY SWATH OR WINDROW.

March 20, 1973 TJJ, sc n -m ET AL 3,721,073

POSITIONING AND AERA'IING CROPS METHOD OF PROCESSING,

Original Filed Dec. 16, 1970 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 li A l a UI March 20, 1973 T. J. SCARNATO ET ,72

METHOD OF PROCESSING, POSITIONING AND AERATING CROPS Original Filed Dec. 16, 1970 7 Sheetsf-Sheet 2 March 20, 1973 T. J.SCARNATO ET AL $71213 METHOD OF PROCESSING, POSITIONING AND AERATING CROPS Original Filed Dec. 16, 1970 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 I =Lf1 i I 62) BOIISEL A n 11 ii A A n n n T. J.SCARNATO ET A 3,721,073

POSITIONING AND AERATTNG CROPS.

Mmh 20, 1973 METHOD OF PROCESSING,

Original Filed Dec. 16, 1970 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 A238 E22 Ekzw L March 20, 1973 T. J. SCARNATO ET AL 3,721,073

METHOD OF PROCESSING, POSITIONING AND AERATING CROPS Original Filed Dec. 16, 1970 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 March 20, 1973 T. J. SCARNATO ET AL 3,721,073

METHOD OF PROCESSING, POSITIONING AND AEHATING CROPS 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Original Filed Dec. 16, 1970 I ZOJWI 206 Ma c 0, 1973 T. .J. SCARNATO ET POSITIONING AND' AERATING CROPS METHOD OF PROCESSING,

Original Filed Dec. 16. 1970 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 02 mm m United States Patent O 3,721,073 METHOD OF PROCESSING, POSITIONING AND AERATING CROPS Thomas .I. Scarnato, Barrington, Peter .I. Peacock, Western Springs, George B. Cicci, Broadview, Paul W. Krage, Elmhurst, and John J. Kowalik, Glenview, Ill., assignors to International Harvester Company, Chicago, Ill. Original application Dec. 16, 1970, Ser. No. 98,497. Divided and this application Apr. 10, 1972, Ser. No. 242,547

Int. Cl. A01d 43/10 US. Cl. 56-1 10 Claims ABSTRACT or THE DISCLOSURE A method of positioning, processing and aerating crops comprising crushing the crops then discharging them in high velocity stream, then intercepting a portion of the stream and deflecting it toward the ground to form a first layer and then depositing the remainder of the crops in one or more layers upon the first layer in a fluffy swath or windrow.

CROSS REFERENCE TO OTHER APPLICATIONS This application is a division of our US. application Ser. No. 98,497, now Pat. No. 3,683,602, filed Dec. 16, 1970 for: Crop Aerating Mechanism for Harvesters.

DISCUSSION OF THE PRIOR ART The prior art has heretofore discharged the crops issuing from the hay conditioning rollers in a single stream. The crop material frequently lay in a clumped mat upon the ground which inhibits drying and would at times deleteriously affect the quality of the product. Such handling of material resulted in poor or uneven and frequently prolonged drying time.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention is directed to a method of laying a swath or windrow.

The main object of the invention is to loosen the mat of hay issuing from the conditioning rollers to form a fluffy swath or windrow.

A further object is to separate the crop stream into several branches and deposit these branches in several layers upon the ground to enhance the drying and quality of the product.

These and other objects and advantages inherent in and encompassed by the invention will become more readily apparent from the specification and drawings, wherein FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a mower-conditioner, incorporating one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken essentially on line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view comparable to FIG. 1 showing the aerating bar in position;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 showing the tines in elevated locked-out position;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary top view partly broken away of another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 8-8 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 9-9 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary top plan view of still another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 11 is a rear view of the structure shown in FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on line 12-12 of FIG. 10 showing the bar of FIGS. 14-16;

FIG. 13 is a broken apart rear elevational view of the bar shown in FIGS. 10l2;

FIG. 14 is a fragmentary broken apart front elevational view of aerating bar of FIGS. 1012;

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of the structure of FIG. 14 taken substantially on line 15-15 of FIG. 14;

FIG. 16 is a side elevational view of the removable tine utilized in the embodiment of FIG. 12;

FIGS. 17-19 illustrate a further embodiment;

FIG. 17 being a fragmentary rear view;

FIG. 18 being an enlarged cross-sectional view showing one position of the parts taken substantially on line 18-18 of FIG. 17;

FIG. 19 being a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 18 showing the parts of another position;

FIG. 19a is a fragmentary rear view of the plate;

FIGS. 20-23 illustrate still another embodiment;

FIG. 20 is a rear view thereof with parts shown in section;

FIG. 21 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken substantially on line 21-21 of FIG. 20;

FIG. 22 is a fragmentary front view taken substantially on line 22-22 of FIG. 21; and

FIG. 23 is an enlarged side elevational view of the latching mechanism taken substantially on line 23-23 of FIG. 20.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT OF FIGS. 1-6

Having particular reference to the drawings, there is shown a harvesting implement generally designated 2 commonly known as a mower conditioner although it will be readily understood that the invention is equally applicable to hay conditioners as such.

The mower conditioner shown comprises a main frame structure 3 upon which is carried a sub-frame 4 of a header generally designated 5 which is pivoted on a transverse substantially horizontal axis as at 6 from the main frame 3 and comprises a side member 7 at each side. Each member has an upwardly extending anchor 8 connected to the forward end 9 of a counterbalancing spring 10 which, at its rear end, is connected as at 11 to an anchor 12 mounted on the main frame 3. The header comprises an upwardly and rearwardly extending transverse platform 13 which extends between the side members 7 and is connected therewith. The platform mounts at its forward edge a mower 14 which is adapted to cut the standing crops shown at 15 as such crops are swept thereto by a reel 16 by means of the spring fingers 17 carried thereon. The reel is rotatably mounted on journals from side members 7, as is well known to those skilled in the art. The fingers 17 are arranged to sweep over the top surface 22 of the deck 13 and to prou'ect the material upwardly and rearwardly after it is cut by the mower 14 into upper and lower hay conditioning rollers 24 and 25, the rollers rotating in the direction shown by the arrows in FIG. 1 and discharging the conditioned crop in a widestream shown at 26 since the rollers 24 and 25 are substantially as wide as the reel 16 and the platform 13.

This stream of material impinges against the novel aerating bar generally designated 30 which is positioned ahead of the transverse beam 31 of the frame 3' of the basic structure which is carried on laterally spaced wheels 32, one wheel 32 being positioned at each side of the unit.

The aerating bar 30- is positioned athwart the stream of materal shown at 26 which is discharged from the rollers 24 and 25 at relatively high velocity and comprises a tubular bar element 35 which has a series of longitudinally spaced vertical apertures therethrough indicated at 36 through which extend root or upper ends 37 of tines 38, which are preferably of thin round resilient wire such as spring steel or the like. Preferably these tines are spaced on the order of about 10 inches apart to provide passageways 39 therebetween. The forward sides of the tines provide impringement surfaces as at 40. The lower ends of these tines shown at 42 are free and unsupported in order to shed the crops readily and the end tines 38a facing opposite ends of the bar are preferably angled laterally inwardly as best seen in FIG. 2 and are also sloped or angled forwardly as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The end tines 38a are preferably spaced 6 inches apart with adjacent pedestals or guides 45, which serve as anchors for the rear ends of the panels 7 of the header frame, form passageways as at 46 with the ends of the aerating bar to permit the volume of crops at the ends of the rollers to pass therethrough and then course along the interior surfaces 48 of side panels 49R, 49L of the windrowing means generally designated 50. (FIG. 7) The windrowing means 50 is common to all of the embodiments.

Either the panels 49R and 49L of FIG. 7 or FIG. may be used since the bar is ahead of them. As best seen in FIGS. 7 and 8 these side panels 49R, 49L each comprise a substantially vertical upper portion or section 51 and an inwardly sloping intermediate portion or section 52 and a more abruptly inwardly sloping lower or pan portion 53. As the bar is angled upwardly, the swath becomes narrower since the pan portions 53 become wider and wider toward the rear. The function of these portions 51 through 53 is to guide the material coursing therealong which exits through the passageways 46 to fold such material as seen at 55 as a top layer 56 of the swath generally designated 60. It will be observed that the lstream of material shown at 26 divides into three branches or flows 55, 56 and 57 and that the portion of the material 57 forms the first layer 58 laying on the stubble in the field. This portion of the material impinges against the forward sides of the teeth 38 and is directed downwardly at 5'7 and being the forwardmost branch will drop to the ground first. The second branch or flow indicated at 56 consists of material which passes through the spaces 39 between the teeth and rebounds as at 59 against the underside of the top deflector shield 62 of the windrow mechanism 50. This sheet 62 extends diagonally downwardly and rearwardly from the rear side of the member 31. The branch or portion of the material indicated at 56 drops and forms the second layer 63 of the swath. Thus the aerator 30 not only deflects the material, but breaks up the material and with the windrowing panels divides the material into a plurality of streams which are integrated into a multi-layer swath.

The tubular portion 35 of the aerator bar 30 is provided at each end with a pin which is pivoted on a substantial horizontal axis to a bracket 71 suitably secured to the adjacent portion of the forward side of the member 31. The bar is provided at one end with an arm 72 (FIGS. 3 and 4) united therewith and this bar carries a combination stop and locking device 73 which operates in an arcuate slot 74 formed in the bracket 71. In this embodiment of the invention, the aerating bar 30 or assembly is pivotal within the limits of the slot 74. The forward limit of swing of the arm 72 and thus the bar may be controlled by an adjustable stop 75 in the form of a bolt which may be clamped to opposite sides of the bracket 71 through the slot 74 and secured thereto. It will be apparent that varying volumes of material and the velocity of the material as well as the type of material will cause the bar to deflect rearwardly different amounts and to pendulate and thus aid the bar to rake through the material and flufi the same. As best seen in FIG. 6, the aerator bar assembly 30 is shown in its locked-out position wherein the arm 72 is connected by the bolt 73 to the bracket 71 through the aperture 77 as best seen in FIG. 3. 'In this position the trajectory of material 26 is directly against the underside 59 of the top deflector shield or late 62 and the material cascades downwardly between the side panels 49R, 49L of the windrower wherein as seen in FIG. 7 the pan portions 53 taper gradually forwardly at edge 53. The structure of the panels 49R, 49L of FIG. 10 may be used herein if desired. These side sheets are adjusted inwardly and outwardy about the pivots 80 connected at their forward ends and to the rear side of the member 31 therebelow. The adjustment of the windrow sheets is conventional in that these sheets are secured in any of a plurality of apertures 81 of the rear extension structures 82.

EMBODIMENTS OF FIGS. 7-9

Referring now to the embodiment of the invention, as shown in FIGS. 7 through 9, parts which are identical with the previous embodiment are identified with the same reference characters. In this embodiment the aerator bar assembly 30 is pivotally hung at opposite ends as at from a pair of brackets 101 from the top of the deflector shield 62 adjacent to its rear end 102. As in the previous embodiment, the bar assembly 30 is provided with an arm 72 and a stop and locking bolt 73 as well as the abutment stop bolt 75 which is adjustable to control the swing of the assembly 30. In this embodiment, a portion of the cut material impinges against the underside 59 of the top projector shield and drops downwardly. Some of the crop is directed rearwardly and the lower portion of the stream impinges against the fingers 38 and drops into a first layer 57 with whatever crop drops down directly from the underside of the top shield 62. Some of the crop as at 56 passes through the spaces 39 and forms a second layer as in the previous embodiment and remainder of the crop as at 55 moves through the passages 104 (FIG. 8) between the interior sides 48 of the side panels 49R, 49L and the end fingers of the bar which are angled inwardly and forwardly slide off the portions 53 of the side sheets and forms the third layer. In this embodiment the aerator bar assembly 30 is also preferably free-swinging, but can be locked in a plurality of angular positions.

In certain crop conditions, depending upon the length of the crop, density, etc., the bulk thereof such as in long stem material, the arrangement of FIGS. 7-9 would be advisable in positioning the aerator bar further away from the rollers than in the previous embodiment, where the bar 30 is close, to prevent plugging or bunching.

EMBODIMENT OF FIGS. 10-16 Referring now to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 10 through 16 it will be understood that the general configuration of the harvester is similar to that shown in the previous embodiment and similar parts are thus identified with the same reference numerals. The placement of the aerator bar assembly generally designated 30-, however, is immediately behind the beam 31 adjacent to the forward ends of the side panels 49R, 49L of the windrowing apparatus 50. In this embodiment the bracket structures 82 provide pivotable support on their inner gussets for the bar or tubular element 35 which has its ends passed through suitable apertures 151 therein. The left end of the bar is connected to a shaft 152 which extends through an aperture 153 in the other gusset 154 of the left member 82 and through a locking plate 155 which is suitably secured to the adjacent bracket flange 156. The outer end of the shaft 152 is connected, preferably as by welding, to arm which may have an aperture 161 alignable with any of the series of apertures 162 in the locking plate 155 whereat it may be positively locked by means of a pin and key assembly 163. In this embodiment the end fingers 38" are angled inwardly and the intermediate fingers 38' are positioned vertically. In view of the position of the bar 30', similar to bar 30, the window panels 49L, 49R may be adjusted to control the width of the swath in this embodiment. The fingers designated 38' are formed at their upper ends with a loop which is closed in the relaxed position as shown in FIG. 16. The inclination of the leg 171 of the loop is toward the tine 38' and the end of the leg 171 merges with an outwardly directed lug 172 at the juncture forming a cam lobe 173 which serves to open the loop attendant to the finger portion 38 or 38 being extended through vertically aligned apertures 175, 176 in the tube 35 and forcing the tine downwardly whereupon the lower surface 172' of the lug 172 cams on the arcuate periphery 177 of the tube and causes the loop to open and then the leg 171 snaps behind the tube 35 and has its inner side 179 engaging as at 180 with the rear portion of the tube 35 adjacent to its bottom side 181. Thus it will be seen that the fingers are readily removable and insertable into any of a plurality of apertures 175, 176 so as to vary the population density of the fingers in different areas. The fingers 38 are shown closely spaced in FIG. and widely in FIG. 11. As best seen in FIG. 11 of this embodiment the end fingers 38" are angled or more closely spaced than the fingers 38' in the intermediate portion of the bar 30'. It will be understood that the fingers 38' and 38" are flexible and therefore, even though fingers 38" are bent as at 182, they will straighten out to pass through the respective apertures 175, 176.

In this embodiment as in the previous embodiment, some of the crop impinging against the forward side of the tines will be deflected downwardly to form the first layer. The portions 53 of the side panels 49R, 49L are cut diagonally at 53a, 53a and narrow toward their forward ends 5312 to clear the endmost tines of the bar 30' whereby in the lowered position the crop will drop directly downwardly from the ends of the bar 30 without obstruction by pans 53 to form a full width swath. The crops that pass through the tines will impinge against the underside 59 of the top plate 62 and the remainder of the crop will move through the passages 104- between the end tines and the inner sides of the respective side panels and will course along the surfaces of portions 51, 52, 53 and will fold in forming the third layer. As the bar 30 is angled upwardly the swath becomes narrower since the material then moves farther along portions 53 before it drops off particularly if the panels 49R, 49L are converged rearwardly.

In each embodiment a multi-layered effect is achieved and in each instance the aerating bar may be positioned upwardly to an inoperative position whereby the material can be condensed into a windrow by the side sheets 49R, 49L. It will be observed that a novel method of forming a swath is provided which comprises producing a high velocity stream of material of swath width, then causing some of the material, while raking through the material and flufling it, to drop in a first layer, passing some of the material behind the first portion to drop in a second layer upon the first layer and then folding the material or gathering the material at the lateral extremes of the swath and folding it onto the second material in order to form a third layer.

This apparatus has been actually tested and has been found to function in the manner indicated providing multilayered effect to minimize or entirely eliminate the step ladder effect previously obtained and as is inherent in the solid swath' plate structure.

EMBODIMENT OF FIGS. l7-l9 In the embodiment of FIGS. 17-19, parts common to the other embodiments are identified with the same reference numerals. In this arrangement the spaces between the fingers are partially blocked off by a plate or baffle 200 which extends the full length of the bar from the end finger at one end of the bar 30 to the end finger on the other end and has end edges 201, 202 sheared diagonally in accordance with the inclination of the respective end fingers. The plate is provided with upper edge lug portions 203 which are arcuately contoured to conform to the periphery 177 of pipe or shaft 35 and have a cupping concavity 204 admitting a portion of the pipe therein.

In this instance the portions 203 are each provided with circumferentially spaced apertures 205, 206. As shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, the fingers 38' aligned with the lugs are extended through the apertures 205 and bar apertures 175, 176 aligned therewith thus holding the plate portion vertically against the back sides 207 of the fingers 38'. It will be observed that the fingers which pass through the lugs are positioned with their upper loop portion 170 extended forwardly of the bar 35 thus accommodating swinging the bafile plate to a raised position as shown in FIG. 19 upon removal of the fingers extending through lugs 203. In the raised position the respective fingers 38' then are passed through apertures 206, 175, and 176.

In the lowered position, the baffle has an extent preferably 4 inches in depth from the pipe and the fingers are 11 /2 inches from the bottom of the pipe. Thus about 7 /2 inches of tine is exposed below the baffle. The straight fingers on all of the embodiments shown are preferably spaced 10 inches apart and the bent fingers at their lower ends are preferably spaced about 6 inches apart.

The function of the baflie is to provide a stop for cer tain material such as Sudex for example. It has been observed from tests that such crop materials discharge from the rollers such as spears and the bulk of the stalks pass through the passages between the fingers so that they fall in parallel lays and form a compact mass which inhibits drying. By providing the battle, the flow of such material is dramatically changed in that the upper strata of the band of material discharging from the rollers hits endwise against the battle sheet causing the spear-like stalks to crumple and fall through the lower strata. This cascading mass of material forms a loose barrier which causes additional material to fold and drop therewith. Other portions of such crop material in the lower strata pass through the portions of the passages beneath the lower edge of the panel. Certain portions also pass between the ends of the panel and the windrow sheets in the passages 104, 104 as described in the previous embodiments.

EMBODIMENT OF FIGS. 20-22 In this embodiment, parts common with the other embodiments are identified with the same reference numerals. The aerator bar 30' is positioned behind the rear wall 31' of the transverse beam 31 at a level above the bottom substantially horizontal surface 31a of the beam and has its end portions passed through journal openings 151, 151 in the vertical inboard flanges of the brackets 82 which extend rearwardly of the beam 31 and attached to wall 31'. Each bracket has a bottom wall 82a with a lower face 82b substantially coplanar with the surface 31a of beam 31.

In this embodiment the teeth or tines or fingers 38 each extend through apertures 300 in an arcuate flange 301 formed on the upper edge of a baflle panel 302. The flange is complemental to the periphery 177 of the pipe 35 and the fingers 38 extend through respective apertures 300 and aligned apertures 175, 176 in the pipe 35' and thus hold the upper portion of the plate 302 in place.

The plate or panel 302 has a flat body portion 304 disposed in front of the tines and shields the upper portions thereof. The effective depth from the bottom of the pipe or tube 35 to the lower edge 305 of the plate is about 4 inches. The lower edge of the plate is formed with a rearwardly bent flange 306 which has apertures 307 therein aligned with respective fingers 38 or 38 which extend therethrough. The lower portions of these fingers below the plate extend about 7 inches. They are preferably spaced apart on the order of that recited in the previous embodiment. It will be understood that under some circumstances it may be necessary in each embodiment to change such spacing between the fingers due to crop conditions. However, for all around use, the foregoing spacing has been found to give excellent results.

In this embodiment, end plates 308 are bolted at 309 to the respective ends 310 of the center baffle body 304.

These plates are inserted when a full width swath is desired and have a lower edge 311 substantially coplanar with the lower edge of the panel 304.

The upper edges 312 of these end plates 308 are disposed proximate to the lower surfaces 82b of the respective brackets.

Forwardly of these panels 308 there are provided fiat, fiber impregnated rubber or elastomer flaps 313 which at their upper edges are secured to the undersides of the bottom walls 82a of respective brackets 82. Under each flap a metal retainer 314 is underposed, the retainer having a forward flange 315 sloping upwardly and forwardly and contacting at its forward edge against the bottom side 82b of the respective wall 82a. Screws 316 are threaded through apertures in the horizontal rear plate portion 317 of the retainer and in the flap into appropriate threaded apertures in the respective wall 82a.

As best seen in FIG. 21, each flap 313 is deflected downwardly against the forward side 319 of the respective end plate 308 to guide the material downwardly. As best seen in broken lines in FIG. 21, each flap 313 straightens out in its relaxed position and lays under the respective end plate portion 308 when the aerator is folded upwardly. It will be appreciated that in this embodiment as well as in all of the others, the aerator is positionable from a substantially vertical disposition at various increments of rearwardly sloping adjustment to a substantially horizontal position. In the vertical position a full width swath is obtained.

In the embodiments of FIGS. 1-6, since the aerator is in front of the windrow sheets, the crops drop off to a full width with the aerator down. In the remaining embodiments, the forward portions of the pans 53 are cut away at 53a (FIG. whereby the side panels 49R, 49L may be adjusted inwardly as best seen in FIGS. 7 and 10 and even with such adjustment of the side panels 49R, 49L a full width windrow will form. The advantage of this construction becomes apparent upon adjustment of the aerator upwardly. The crops are then permitted to traverse over different widening portions of the bottom pans 53 of the windrow sheets which reduce the windrow width. Such an arrangement is particularly desirable in that the side sheets may be adjusted once and by only positioning the aerator bar at a desired disposition, the width and the composition of the formation of the material can be varied from a full swath through a narrowed swath to a condensed windrow without the necessity of any additional adjustment of the windrow sheets. Thus the width of the swath may be correlated with the spacing of the tractor wheels to eliminate or minimize running over the crops at the side edges of the swath.

In this embodiment a form of latch designated 350 is different from the other embodiments and comprises an L-shaped bolt 351 having one leg 352 extending through an aperture 353 in shaft portion 152 of the aerator bar and is spring loaded by a spring 354 compressed between the shaft portion 152 and an abutment pin 355 extending through leg 352 thus urging leg 352 outwardly and engaging the other leg 356 of the bolt in any of a series of selected notches 357 formed in one edge 358 of an arcuate slot 358 formed in a locking plate 359 which is secured to flange 154 of the bnacket 82. The bolt is released from any notch by the operator grasping leg 356 and urging it out of the respective notch against the compression of spring 354 and then the operator swings the bolt with the aerator bar 30 to any adjusted position and releases the bolt into the adjacent notch.

It is one of the essential features of this invention to provide a crop guide bar assembly having spaced abutment 8 areas and intervening passages so as to deflect a portion of the crops downwardly below the bar and to accommodate a substantial portion of the crops through the bar and in some instances around the ends of the bar to produce a well formed, airy swath with minimum voids and bunching.

It will be noted that preferred embodiments of the invention have been disclosed and that other modifications now will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A method of processing forage crops comprising the steps of crushing the crops, then discharging the crushed crops in a stream, then intercepting a portion of said stream and deflecting it toward the ground to form a first layer of crops, then dropping the remainder of the crops in a second layer upon said first layer.

2. A method of processing forage crops comprising the steps of cutting field borne plants, then conditioning the plants by crushing the stems and other parts thereof and discharging them in a stream of relatively high velocity, then raking through the stream to separate the plants to form a fluffy deposit upon the ground.

3. A method of forming a swath from cut crop material for drying in a field comprising the steps of issuing such material in a wide stream at relatively high acceleration, then guiding said segments to a confluence to form a multi-layered swath in a field.

4. The invention according to claim 3 wherein certain segments of said stream of material are at the lateral edges of the stream, and wherein said certain segments are folded from said edges onto the other segments of material forming the swath.

5. A method of forming a swath according to claim 3 wherein said segments are guided to fall to the ground in succession one over the other.

6. A method of preparing cut crop material for drying in the field comprising directing a swath of such material in several streams and then aggregating such streams in vertically superposed layers.

7. The invention according to claim 6 and conditioning the crops after being cut to form a mat of material and breaking up the mat into said several streams.

8. The invention according to claim 6 and comprising the step of issuing the crops in a horizontally single wide stream, and then slicing the single stream into said several streams.

9. The invention according to claim 8 and then redirecting said streams to overlay one another.

10. The invention according to claim 6 and wherein several of the streams are vertically displaced and the other of the streams are laterally displaced and converged toward the vertically displaced streams.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,915,869 12/1959 Coultas 56DIG. 1 2,918,774 12/1959 McCarty 56-DIG. 1 3,118,264 1/19644 Barnes 56DIG. 1 3,225,531 12/1965 Van der Lely 56372 3,241,300 3/1966 Fall et a1 56-153 3,543,491 12/1970 Lausch 56192 3,565,284 4/1972 Meek et al 5614.5 3,676,988 7/1972 iHauser-Lienhard 561 RUSSELL R. KINSEY, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 56-DIG. 2 

